Celtic toast Thompson's winning strike

Celtic 1 Rosenborg Trondheim

Celtic's maiden voyage in the Champions' League continues to add to its precious cargo. Three more valuable points were stowed away last night at Parkhead as those perennially troublesome Norwegian raiders Rosenborg were repelled.

A free-kick from Alan Thompson ensured that Martin O'Neill's team now have six points and sit on top of Group E. It may be the Scottish club's first time in the competition that has come a long way since it was known as the European Cup when Celtic lifted the trophy in 1967, but if three more points are taken from the next port of call ­ Porto ­ then the voyage may continue into the second phase.

Under the guidance of Nils Arne Eggen, the little club from the fishing port of Trondheim have successfully pillaged much of Europe. They ransacked San Siro, knocking out Milan, beat Real Madrid the year the Spanish giants won the trophy in 1998 and last season inflicted a 3-0 defeat on Dortmund.

The most intriguing element of the Norwegian invaders was Harald Brattbakk. The former Celtic striker was returning to the club where he failed to live up to a huge price tag before being shipped back to Scandinavia.

Brattbakk was given a warm ovation by the Celtic supporters, who nursed fears that the misfit would come back to haunt them. Brattbakk's pace in the early stages hardly soothed those fears.

However, Didier Agathe ensured Rosenborg had enough worries of their own. The French winger loitered at the back of the box to meet Thompson's cross, which had sailed over Henrik Larsson, but his volley was diverted for a corner.

Brattbakk then sent a shiver through Parkhead with a mazy run which was only denied by the bulk of Johan Mjallby as he sized up his shot.

Celtic craved the comfort of a goal and Thompson provided it after 21 minutes. Stilian Petrov's rampaging run was halted by Janne Saarinen, just outside the box. Larsson provided the decoy run, while Thompson inflicted a low left-foot free-kick which surprisingly found its way through the wall and past Arni Arason.

Celtic turned up the heat after that ­ though Robert Douglas miscued a punch which induced panic from a corner ­ and Agathe almost carved out a second goal seven minutes before the interval.

The winger left Saarinen sprawling and delivered a cutback from the byline, but Chris Sutton could not turn the ball in.

Larsson came close to extending Celtic's lead early in the second half when he ran clear into Sutton's pass. The Swede went down under the challenge of Erik Hoftun, who was injured in a collision with Arason as they squeezed out Larsson, but no penalty was awarded.

It was one of the few moments Sutton had freed himself from Hoftun, with whom he was having a torrid tussle, wrestling for every ball.

One such occasion saw Sutton earn a free-kick wide on the left. Thompson picked out the England striker's head, and he found Larsson who chested the ball down, but his shot was turned around for a corner.

Rosenborg, though, continued to probe Celtic searching for an equaliser and that prompted Parkhead to respond with decibel-splitting resistance.

It almost had the desired effect. Agathe came close before Hoftun headed clear, and then Lambert set up Sutton for a searing 20-yard drive which was beaten out by Arason.

Celtic (3-5-2): Douglas; Mjallby, Balde, Valgaeren; Agathe, Lambert, Lennon, Petrov, Thompson (Guppy, 65); Sutton, Larsson. Substitutes not used: Kharin (gk), Sylla, McNamara, Hartson, Tébily, Moravcik.

Rosenborg (4-3-3): Arason; Basma, Hoftun, Olsen (F Johnsen, 85), Saarinen; Berg, Skammelserud, Strand (Wisnes, 81); Brattbakk (George, 73), Rushfeldt, B Johnsen. Substitutes not used: E Johnsen (gk), Stensaas, El-Fakiri.

Referee: A Sars (France).